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nRieta now glanced at the Princess again.

nIn front of her, a knight in splendid armor had knelt, kissing the back of her hand.

nJust like a prince in a fairy tale.

n“I, I wasn’t looking at that.”

nRieta blushed a little because she was somehow embarrassed.

nWhy did Noel come at a time like this?

n“What do you mean, you couldn’t take your eyes off them.”

n“It’s not like that, I was just looking at the Princess. She was wearing the shoes I bought her.”

n“You’re making me laugh. I thought you were thinking about that guy . . .”

n“That guy?”

nWhen Rieta asked with a puzzled face, Noel asked, “Weren’t you thinking of that guy?”

nRieta glanced at the back of her hand.

n“Ah. Elisha?”

n“Pretending not to.”

n“I’m always thinking of Elisha. Because he is a precious friend.”

n“. . .”

n“I want to see him . . .”

nRieta stroked the back of her hand.

nShe recalled Elisha’s round forehead and the feeling of touching his hair.

n“. . . Uh.”

nNoel was taken aback by Rieta’s somewhat depressed mood.

nHe was making fun of her, he didn’t know she was so serious about seeing him.

nWhy? If she wanted to meet him, she could just borrow the power of the Duchy. Stupid Princess, she didn’t even know that.

nOf course, he never spoke such thoughts out loud.

n“Uh, anyway.”

nNoel pulled Rieta’s arm gently towards him.

nLike pulling a girl away from her gloomy thoughts.

n“Today, the Princess should only think about me.”

n“Why?”

n“Who do you think will go on a hunt shouldering the honor of the Princess?”

nNoel raised his nose slightly and pretended to show off.

n“Smoulder . . . ?”

nThe problem is that Rieta did not understand his chosen word.

n“So, I’m going to hunt hard and win for the Princess. Did you understand that far?”

n“Huh.”

n“Yes, so that means that all of the Princess’s time is mine.”

nAt Noel’s conclusion, Rieta placed her finger on her lips and tilted her head.

nThere weren’t any difficult words, but she couldn’t understand what the hell he was talking about.

n“. . . My time yours?”

nAt the question that came back with blinking big eyes, Noel pounded his fist near his heart as if he was frustrated.

n“Wow, really.”

n“Noel, that’s weird.”

n“It’s not strange at all! All the time I spend hunting is yours. Is it that hard for you to give me your time?”

n“Ah.”

nRieta clapped her hands slightly.

n“I think I know a little bit.”

nWhy did he say it in such a difficult way?

nHe’ll hunt hard for Rieta, so he was just asking her to cheer him on.

n“Yes, without thinking about anything else, I’ll be cheering for Noel hard.”

n“. . . Really?”

nRieta smiled, waving her handkerchief that he had tied.

n“That’s right.”

nDid he like the answer?

nNoel took a few steps forward and started walking with a very bright face.

nShe fiddled with the handkerchief on his wrist.

n* * *

nJust as Rieta was in a good mood, Princess Gabriella Farell Mechidia was also in a good mood.

nIt was a hunting contest she had been looking forward to.

nIn the meantime, according to the wishes of her parents, participation in the tournament was strictly prohibited, but now the situation is different.

nPeople over the age of 16 had the right to make their own decisions.

nThat meant that she could enter the contest at her own will, regardless of permission.

nEarly in the morning, when the darkness was gone, Gabriella tied her hair up and wore a dark shirt over tough leather pants.

nShe liked the light clothing that she saw herself wearing in the mirror.

nHearing the bustling of the attendants in the hallway, she quickly grabbed her bow and ran to the practice range.

nBecause she wanted to practice until the last minute.

nIn the midst of the silence, as she was facing the target alone.

nPak!

nFinally, the arrow that flew out landed dead in the center.

n“. . . Got it!”

nShe would be scolded by her teacher, as she showed joy at the first arrow, but now she could not control this feeling.

nToday was it.

nGabriella Farrell Mechidia, the Princess, will stand in front of her peers the way she had always wanted to.

nBecause it was the first day

n* * *

nGabriella’s premonition was not wrong.

nBecause of the magic tower that entered the Imperial family at dawn, the Emperor was unable to go to the hunting grounds.

nIn addition, the Empress had been refraining from going out as much as possible because she had been ill recently.

nSo now all that was left was Gabriella.

nIt was the first time she took on the Imperial job, but she was not surprised.

nShe’s been watching silently for sixteen years.

nThe people used to easily say that the Emperor liked to ‘make her pretty and put her closest to him’.

nHe liked to brag about his daughter, so he took her wherever he went like a ‘doll’.

nThey said that there were people who looked down on such an Emperor, saying that he was a ‘daughter- fool’.

nBut that was not all.

nHe did it so Gabriella could quietly watch his work.

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